Claws In
by Astraea Black
Summary: Marinette discovers Chat's identity.
1. Chapter 1

_Adrien._

It couldn't be!

Marinette simply couldn't believe it. Her heartthrob junior high school crush, sweet and funny Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir?

Well _this_ was totally unexpected.

Ladybug had dropped by the Agreste mansion after defeating the latest akumatized victim, only to see Chat Noir sitting on the couch. Just when she was about to knock on the window, Ladybug heard the faint whisper of "claws in". Before she could react, green light enveloped her partner, and suddenly it was Adrien Agreste sitting on the couch.

Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and zipped away, too startled to try and talk to him.

This was insane.

This was unreal.

This wasn't happening.

Chat Noir, who loved her and flirted with her and made dumb cat puns was Adrien Agreste?

How could she respond to that?

It wasn't that she was disappointed. She was glad that Adrien was Chat Noir. But Adrien and Chat were so different. She loved them both, in a way, and now that she knew that they were the same person- no. It was too much.

"Marinette, are you alright?" Tikki asked quietly. Marinette was so busy thinking about Chat and Adrien that she hadn't noticed when she detransformed.

"I… I don't know, Tikki. This is so strange."

"It'll be okay."

As Marinette sat on her balcony, staring out at the rooftops of her beloved city, she realized that it would be okay, in time. She loved them both, both aspects of the same amazing boy. She didn't know what she would say to him at school the next day, but she would figure that out tomorrow.

Thank you so much for reading this! I don't know when or if I'll post a part two, but other Miraculous fanfictions are always a possibility! I would love some constructive criticism, but please make sure that your comments are helpful, not mean. Your positive comments really help this fangirl keep writing! I hope you enjoyed it!

-Astraea


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette fell face down onto her bed, trying to ignore the fact that she had an essay due the next day which she had completely disregarded to save Paris. Her heart was full of confusion over what she had seen not an hour earlier. It didn't feel like an hour, though. It felt like a thousand years. Her Chat, her partner who had seen her fail and succeed and had been there for her all along was _Adrian?_ It was too much to take in. Marinette knew that she loved both parts of him… but she still didn't know how to proceed. She was stuck in a kaleidoscope of memories- all the villains they had fought together, all the times he had flirted with her and helped her and saved her life... Of course. Of course it was Adrian. How had she not seen it before? It was glaringly obvious now. With a groan, Marinette sat up. She had to make a decision. She looked around for Tikki, who flew over immediately.

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki sighed.

"What do I do, Tikki?" Marinette asked with a sigh. "I can't tell him… can I?"

"It's dangerous."

"How?"

"He could betray you. Yes, you trust him… but what if he's Akumatized or he tells the wrong person? This could put more people in danger, Marinette."

"Chat would never willingly betray me, Tikki."

"I'm not saying he would, but… it's always a possibility. People change, Marinette."

"I don't know, Tikki."

"I trust you to make the right decision."

Marinette smiled at the compliment. "That may not be the best idea, Tikki."

"Just follow your heart, Marinette."

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it. I should have the next part up within a week, but I am a student, so I'm pretty busy!

On a side note, I'd love to see what you want me to write. If there are any prompts you would like to see written or requests that you may have, I'd love to see them!

Thank you again for being awesome!

-Astraea


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette sat down in her usual seat next to Alya. Thank goodness, Adrien wasn't there yet.

"Hey, Mari!" Alya grinned.

"Oh, hey, Alya," Marinette forced a smile. For the first time since that rainy night, Marinette wasn't anxious to see Adrien. Quite the opposite, really; she was terrified. She had no idea what to do. Tikki had always told her that she needed to keep her identity secret to protect her family and friends, but it wasn't like Adrien was Hawkmoth. If he knew… was it really a big deal? He was her partner, her teammate… her friend. She trusted him, and she knew his identity. Really, it was only fair. But then again… it could put him in danger. And what if Hawkmoth got it out of him somehow? Tikki's words echoed in her head: Just follow your heart, Marinette!

"What's wrong?" Alya asked. Leaning in so that Nino wouldn't hear, she whispered, "don't worry about Adrien. He's at a photo shoot."

"Oh," Marinette smiled, a real one this time, mixed with relief and sadness that he wasn't there. "You always know what I'm worried about, Alya."

"I'm always here for you girl," Alya replied.

"Ladies, your conversation can wait until after class," Ms. Bustier interrupted with a smile.

"Sorry," Alya and Marinette said together, smiling at each other.

Friendship can sometimes be more powerful than kwamis.

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it. The final part will be up soon. In the meantime, feel free to check out some of my other fanfics.

-Astraea


	4. Chapter 4

Ladybug sat on the roof of Notre Dame, watching the city. Her home was a beautiful one, and for once her patrol was uneventful. She heard the soft footsteps of a black-clad superhero behind her.

"Greetings, m'lady," Chat Noir said softly.

"Oh, hello, Chat." Ladybug didn't look back. She still wasn't sure what she was going to do. Would she tell him? Would she keep the secret Master Fu trusted her to protect? Tikki told her to follow her heart. The problem was, Ladybug didn't know what her heart was telling her to do.

"What a purrfect night," Chat said.

Ladybug didn't reply.

"M'lady, are you alright?" Chat Noir asked. He really was a good friend. She could trust him... right?

"I'm fine… Adrien." To this day, Ladybug would never know why she used his civilian name. She heard his sharp intake of breath and turned around to see his astonished face.

"You… know who I am? How?" he asked, his face betraying his emotions- startled and scared and happy all at the same time.

"I saw you detransform," Ladybug replied. Why was she telling him this? He would ask her… and she still didn't know what she would say, what she would do!

"Oh. Then, can I ask…"

"Yes?" Why did she say that? Her mind kept telling her to wait, to think, but Ladybug's heart was in charge now. She would listen to Tikki. She would follow her heart… and deal with the consequences.

"Who… are you, Bugaboo?"

Ladybug sighed.

"You'll be disappointed."

Chat was shocked. Perfect, sweet, beautiful, confident Ladybug was having self-doubts?

"No, I won't, Bugaboo!"

"How can you say that? You don't know yet." Yes or no? What was her heart telling her to do? She thought she knew... but she was so scared.

"I can tell, m'lady," he whispered. "With or without the mask, it's the same amazing person underneath."

"Alright," Ladybug murmured. Tikki trusted her to make the right decision. Now she had to trust herself. "Spots off."

Pink and red light swirled around her as the mask was swept off her face and she turned back into her civilian self.

"Marinette?" Chat whispered.

"Yes," Marinette replied, looking pointedly away. Of course he was disappointed. Like she could ever be good enough for Adrian Agreste.

"Marinette!" Chat cried and swept her off her feet, princess-style.

"You're… not disappointed?" It was Marinette's turn to be shocked.

"How could I be? I knew you were amazing without the mask, as well!"

Both of Paris's superheroes were over the moon that evening, and Alya and Nino still can't figure out how the two became a couple overnight.

Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed this short fanfiction, and thank you for reading it to the end! I don't know if I'll post another part, though I doubt it. I kind of like it how it is, and I hope you do too! Feel free to check out some of my other work, and I'd love it if you'd leave any requests you may have in the comments below! I'm planning on starting a Cloe-centric fanfiction soon, which I hope you'll enjoy. As always, I would love constructive criticism, but please keep it helpful, not mean. Your positive comments really this fangirl keep writing! Thanks for being awesome!

-Astraea


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